RALEIGH — Second only to the sickening feeling of watching defenseman Zdeno Chara crumple to the ice in the second period of Game 5 had to be the stomach-turning emotion the Boston Bruins endured watching center MarcSavard go down after banging knees with Chad LaRose in the third period of tonight’s Game 6 at RBC Center.

Savard made his way to the bench with trainer Donnie Del Negro and played one more shift before hitting the showers. But head coach Claude Julien was quick to point out after his team’s victory, which forced a Game 7 in this Eastern Conference semifinal series, that it was his decision — not the medical staff’s — to force Savard to call it a night.

“I’m the one that sent him off. He just came up to me and I just said … at that time of the game, I just sent him off. He’ll be fine for next game,” said Julien after the 4-2 win.

Savard finished the night with one goal and a plus-1 rating in 13:24 of ice time.